


Care and Keeping

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 5 Times, 5+1 Things, Accidents, Angst and Feels, Babybones (Undertale), Backstory, Big Brother Sans (Undertale), Brotherly Love, Bullying, Canonical Character Death, Caretaking, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Laboratories, Memory Loss, Panic Attacks, Protectiveness, Science Experiments, Undertale Monsters on the Surface
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28258548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Five times Sans looked after Papyrus, and one time Papyrus looked after him.
Relationships: Papyrus & Sans (Undertale)
Kudos: 100





	Care and Keeping

I.

He was the smallest living thing Sans had ever seen, at least within the confines of his father’s workplace. On tiptoe outside the maturation chamber, palms pressed to the glass, Sans gazed in wonder at the form bobbing inside. He was barely the length of Sans’ ulna! Every so often he would shiver and squirm, as if restless to come out and play. Sans could hardly stand to wait for the day he did!

“I have errands to attend to elsewhere,” Gaster announced, casting his son a warning look. “Nothing will be _disturbed_ while I’m away, correct?”

“Uh-huh, bye!” Sans called, barely listening as he watched bubbles float through delicate, developing ribs. “Hey, don’t be scared that Dad’s gone. I’m a big kid! I can take the bestest care of you.”

* * *

II.

The baby was crying. Sans was too, tears evaporating into steam on his cheekbones, but that didn’t matter. The baby was on the hot, dry ground, tangled in a blanket, stubby arms and legs kicking at the air as he screamed.

It felt like a mile stretched between Sans and that bundle as he crawled, but beyond the terror and confusion the only shining thought in his mind was that it was _his_ bundle. It had been shoved into his arms for some urgent reason. It was _his_ , and his job was to save it from whatever awful, awful thing had happened.

“I’m here…Shhh, I’m here. I-I’ve got you!” he choked out as he eased weak arms underneath him. “I d-didn’t mean to…M’sorry you fell.”

Someone else had fallen too, hadn’t they? Somewhere.

* * *

III.

Sleep didn’t come easily to Papyrus, even on a good night. On nights like these, starved and shivering, he was in absolute misery, which naturally meant he needed to make it known to the world so it could suffer with him. He had cried and carried on until he made himself sick—ugly, gasping sobs that left a mess of ectoplasmic bile on his chin and his threadbare shirt.

“You’re tired,” Sans pleaded, voice raspy from hours of speaking reassurances over him. Hazy with fatigue, he could barely keep ahold of his brother as he squirmed and struggled. “You’re tired, Papy, close your eyes.”

“I’m not! I’m not, I’m _not!_ ”

Scraping up vestiges of patience and strength he didn’t know he had, Sans wrapped an arm around the back of Papyrus’ skull and forced it down against his collarbone as he rocked him.

* * *

IV.

“T-They didn’t mean anything by it, brother!” Papyrus piped up, cradling his skull where the stones had made contact. By some force of will he managed to keep his smile on, but Sans could see his eyelights watering. As the group of kids jeered and pointed, his shoulders shook too. “See? We’re all laughing! I-It was only a joke!”

A joke, huh? That was interesting. If Sans knew anything about his brother, it was that Papyrus didn’t find _jokes_ all that appealing. Sans’ hands clenched in his pockets and their leader went stiff, hurtling wildly past the group and into the base of a tree with a startled yelp. The next rock intended for Papyrus bounced out of his hand.

“Heheheheh.” Sans tilted his head, shining eye panning over their gaping faces. “Wasn’t that funny? I got a few gags of my own to tell ya, if any of you think of stickin’ around. I'm here all night.”

* * *

V.

“Sans, I…I tried very hard to reason with the human.” Papyrus’ voice was strained, quieter than he’d ever heard it. “They didn’t…even stay to listen. S-Shockingly poor manners…I had an inspiring speech prepared. I was sure they would…”

“I’m sorry,” Sans murmured hollowly, fingers gray with dust that sloughed off as he pet his brother’s skull to soothe him.

“That’s why you must deliver my message to them. Please, it’s…important. Tell them that they can do better, even if they don’t think so. Tell them that I believe in them…and…and…” His eye sockets—what was left of them—were glazing over.

“Don’t worry, Pap. I’m sure they already know.”

* * *

+I.

“Sans? You’re breathing as if you’ve just been on a run, but I know _that_ can’t possibly be the cause. Is there something that—? Oh, no!”

Something was definitely wrong but in this state Sans couldn't pinpoint what it was. The crushing pressure came down out of nowhere, the world swerving around him as his soul beat to the frantic tune of “ _Run, hide, get Papyrus out of here and run, not safe, never safe, can’t escape_.”

“Sans? _Sans_. Never fear, brother, I’m right here,” Papyrus urged, grabbing Sans’ trembling shoulders with surprising gentleness to help him onto the floor. As he curled up, Sans croaked out something that was supposed to be intelligible. Papyrus was well-versed in translating. “Is your mind conjuring up those treacherous anti-safety thoughts again? You know it does that sometimes, which means you are _prepared_ for it. You’ve beaten it before and you can do it again! I’ll help you! Nothing can withstand our combined attacks, not even something figuratively lurking within you!”

Despite himself Sans flinched at the volume of his voice and Papyrus’ face fell for just a moment. Then, tugging off one glove, he reached out, patiently enduring the solid minute that crawled by before Sans clutched his fingers.

“Those thoughts aren’t real, Sans. Look around us! It’s only you and I here, together, as it’s always been. There’s no danger dashing in to steal our happiness—and if one should suddenly choose to, I’ll protect you.”

With empty eye sockets Sans stared at his brother’s reassuring face, and his shaky handhold tightened. “…Yeah,” he managed, small and hoarse.

 _I’ll protect you_.


End file.
